The Call Of The Sorceress
by Scrumptious treat
Summary: A friendly and harmless treat for the upcoming 'holiday" Halloween. Following the misadventures of two trick-or-treater's, and those who unwillingly tagged along. Something of a short read, so enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Costumed children and adolescents walked up and down the streets of Randall. The sun was setting, and the street lamps that hung over head lit the pathways for those in seek of treats. It was a chilly autumn day, and one that many young ones favorited out of the year: Halloween.

This, of course, hadn't stopped a certain Sorceress from joining in the festivities, seeing as how she loved gathering treats. Her plan was simple. To head out during the early hours of night, and fill her entire pillow bag with those delectable sweets she oh-so craved.

"Limera, you really do need to calm down." Her brother said, as she practically bounced up and down in her cushioned seat. Him, Estelle, and Julius, were gathered around a small campfire, telling scary stories. This was another part she loved about the "holiday." When friends would gather around and try to find new ways to scare one another. Even if it did turn out to be more cliche than anyone would have expected. They enjoyed it nonetheless.

On the previous tale that she had heard, Julius went on about a certain deity that haunted the coast nearby. An abandoned city that sunk into the murky depths. Some say that back in the founding days, there was a monster with huge bat-like wings, and an oct- "Hey, sis. Are you there?" Rouche called out to her.

She was left in a dazed state from the sky pirates previous tale. It intrigued her to no end, that she nearly immersed herself in his fictional universe. If there's one thing that she had to admit, it's his ability to come up with strange, and fear inspiring entities. So much so, that she's even taken the liberation to make a costume based on one of these monsters he's even created.

"Sorry, sorry. I just dozed off for a minute." She apologized, turning to face the warm glow of the fire. The tactician was going on about a haunted item that was cursed by some emperor; something that didn't intrigue her at all. Not to say she wasn't a good story teller, just that she lacked the creativity Julius held.

"Trick-or-treating on your mind?" Rouche smiled, the curious tone in his voice present. Returning his smile with one of her own, she nodded. Of course she is. Limera had been looking forward to this day for months, and now, she was at the cusp of becoming the yearly candy collector that every child sought out to be.

The dying rays of sunlight danced across the sky, and now, it was her time to shine. Excusing herself from the group, she headed back inside of their headquarters, After all, this costume took months of preparing to even come close to what her comrade had described.

The commanding officer, on the other hand, wondered how Laberd and Farzen were doing. For some strange reason, the two older males still went candy collecting. Laughing at the thought of two grown men in suits, he shook his head.

Hearing his chuckle, the tactician stopped mid sentence. "What? Was my story funny?" She asked, hurt. If there was one thing he hated, it was how she sometimes misunderstood things. Waving his hands, he tried explaining to her that it was the thought of the fencer and masked swordsman trick-or-treating. But she wouldn't take it.

Sighing in defeat, he got out of his seat, and went to check on how his sister was doing. "Better than being scolded by a fanatic." He thought to himself, rubbing the back of his head.

Entering through the front door, he walked down the candle lit hallway. His footsteps reverberated in the empty silence. It almost felt….eerie. As no one was present, except for his sister, she felt gone. Almost as if she wasn't there to begin with.

There was a small creak behind him, causing him to jump at the noise. Turning sharply, he was met with darkness.

Taking in a deep breath, he continued down his trek. Every creak that came in from the polished wooden floor made his hairs stand on end. Maybe it was his mind, but at some point, it felt like something was staring at him. Pressing his back against the wall, he looked down both ends of the hallway; one leading to the outside world, and the other into their living room.

Stepping back onto his path, a soft chime could be heard coming from the far end of the hall. Like the door was being jostled opened. There was a faint shape.

It was barely outlined by the shimmering lights coming from the candles, although he could tell it was a muted gray just by the contrast on its skin. The entity's slender figure instilled fear. A tentacle like head was attached to its body, while it stood on its three legs. Long, veiny arms dangled, ending with three sharp pointed claws.

What else could he describe the being with anything other than alien.

Turning its head to the side, he gasped. The noise was as clear as day in the empty hallway. There was no escaping it. It drew closer and closer. The size growing immense, as the head towered over him, and a hollow like gaping void he feared to be its mouth, appear at the neck.

What else could he do but stand there. Paralyzed. "W-What are you?" He muttered, hoping the creature would be able to understand him; before it did whatever horrific act he could think of. All he heard it do was breathe, and something move in the black emptiness that was its mouth.

The next thing he knows, a small fire clicked into existence right beside the creature, and Limera's head popping out of the shroud hiding her face. Her sapphire blue eyes widened with confusion in an innocent manner. Like she had frightened off a kitten. In contrast, the two things didn't go so well together.

Now that he's gotten a good look at her, he notices that the tripedal legs of the creature were merely a prop, attached to the waist of the costume, as were the arms. Her real figure was hidden with the black tights she wore.

"Is something wrong, brother?" She asked, drawing nearer to him. He flinched as she approached him, but mentally slapped himself immediately as soon as her expression grew to one of worry.

"N-No!" He stuttered. "Everything is fine! You just scared me a little, that's all." His voice ended in a hoarse whisper; his embarrassment showing through despite his attempt to hide it.

Even though she fully believed him, she felt bad for scaring him. Albeit, that just proved this entity was creepy. "All right! So, how do I like?"

Seeing her twirl in the costume as if it was a dress, he sighed. Bringing his hand to his face, he covered one eye, and grinned; conjuring up the best crazed scientist impersonation he could, "Truly spooktacular!"

Giggling happily, the sorceress gave him a tight hug as thanks. Still confused on the nature of what she was, a questioned popped. "Now that I think about it, what are you?"

Tilting her head, she smiled. The answer was simple really. "I'm Nyarlimerap!" She exclaimed. Her bubbly personality turning even the grotesque costume into something cute.

"And where did you get this idea? From Julius?"

"Of course! In his stories, he always talks about deities, and daemons. So, I took some inspiration from it, and made a costume on one! Behold," Lifting her arms into the air, the dangly arms followed, where she struck a menacing pose. The fire reflected off of her eyes like that of the sun casting off of the water's surface. "The Crawling Chaos!"

Laughing under his breath, he loved every moment of her act. "The only thing chaotic about you tonight, is the fact that you'll most likely scavenge candy that fell out of other people's buckets."

Pouting, Limera crossed her arms. "If you're going to be mean to me, then I think I'll just go!" She shouted, turning the knob. Before she could open the door, she felt a comforting hand on her head.

"Sorry, sis. I couldn't help it." Turning her back around, he brought her into a tight embrace. "Also, can you stop guilting others into giving you more candy just because of your status?"

Smiling sheepishly, she complied. "I promise, brother. Now, if you don't mind, I have some scrounging up to do." Finishing off her sentence, the sorceress opened up the door; pillow case in hand, and headed out for the night.

Strangely enough, he had a feeling that tonight wasn't going to end well for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Gazing into the warm glow of the fire, Rouche's mind saw shapes forming in the bright, orange flames. They weren't anything on the matter of something horrific or real, just his imagination visualizing the stories that were being told around him. The voices of his friends were nearly drowned out by the crackles of the flame.

What were they saying again? Something about a demon that lurked around every corner? Well, whatever it was, he wasn't paying attention to. A cool breeze blew in, causing him to shiver. Rubbing the sleeves of his gray jacket in an attempt to warm up, he finally looked up from the fire to hear Julius rambling on about snacks.

Funny, he thought. Usually it was his sister who initiated any and all topics concerning them. A quick bite to eat didn't sound half bad either. Glancing at Estelle, he noticed her fidgeting with a piece of candy she had bought awhile ago.

"Hey." Julius called.

"What is it?" He replied.

"I know that we plan to stick around here for a bit longer, but don't you think we need some snacks to liven things up?"

Smirking, Rouche turned to face him directly. "And how will food liven things up? You're just going to ask me if I can go buy some." Smiling back in the same irritating manner, the sky pirate pointed at him. "You got it! And I know you will because you're our great commander." He replied.

Before he could counter with a statement of his own, the tactician chimed in. "He's right. I wouldn't mind eating something warm in this weather. Perhaps you could get a discount!"

Giving in quietly to their demands, the commander got up from his seat, and headed for the street. Behind him, he could hear his comrades cheering him on, despite the simplicity of the task. He only waved his hand to signal for them to quiet down, less they want to be viewed as howling animals.

As he walked down the lit streets, multiple costumed children and the like passed him by. Most wondered what he was dressed as, and the others, gazing at him in awe. Such is the price for being considered a "Hero."

"I swear. Those two won't live this down." He muttered to himself, as a following of boys and girls lined up behind him. This was the greatest challenge he's had to face so far. To avoid taking a look at the hoard tailing him. If he gave in to the temptation, he'd be bombarded with questions. The last thing he wanted to do was to keep them waiting.

"But why does it matter to me if they get their treats or not?" He thought, an evil grin forming on his face. It was easy to turn around, but if he did, then an overwhelming sense of guilt would press down on him. The idea was pushed out of his mind, and was now replaced with buying the essentials.

Wanting for a way out of his predicament, he saw a dark alleyway far ahead of him. They would have trouble keeping up with him in such a small and compact space. All he had to do was wait.

With each step, he grew closer and closer to the path. Along the way, he garnered more followers. Each matching his pace. It was a nightmare. If he stopped now, he'd be attacked by the group, and even worse, devoured. Driven mad by the plethora of children wrapping their small arms around him.

When he was finally an arm's length away from it, he bolted. Speeding down the dark passage, he saw an intersection, with light pouring down from the moon. The echoed footsteps of crazed children following close behind. In a last ditch effort, he summoned the crown of light that usually hovered above him in battles. Grabbing ahold of two zodiac signs, he threw two into the left and right. Those two hovered in place, while the rest faded away.

Losing them, he made his way to the end of the path he took. Luckily for him, he arrived at his desired location. The city market.

Multiple shops stood open, despite the lack of business. At the very corner of his vision, he noticed a strange looking figure. One that wasn't human in any shape or form. Passing it off as his imagination, he walked into a convenience store, and searched for something to munch on.

* * *

Standing underneath a street light, the sorceress opened up the pillow case filled with treats. A variety of chocolates, hard candy, gummies, and other miscellaneous snacks all swayed as she tried her best to hold it still; despite the windy day. Smiling to herself, she let out a giggle at the sight of the collection. Her luck really did turn up this year.

Hearing a terrified scream behind her, she shot around to notice a group of three young teens. From their point of view, she was a monster. A demon.

The shroud concealed her facial features, making her appear all the more real as the light shimmered off the materials of her costume. Taking a step forward to question why they were so frightened, they ran off into the city market. Confused, she followed them until they crashed into a familiar figure.

Recovering from the fall, the young girls shrieked as the creature neared them. Clinging to the fourth figure, it revealed to be her brother; who was carrying a bag of treats. They had instantly recognized him, and pleaded for him to deal with the being.

"U-Ummm…." Scratching his head nervous, Rouche's eyes wandered to his costumed sister, and back to them. "How about we all calm down for a second and think about this thoroughly?" Just like he expected, they didn't hear a single word that came out of his mouth, and only begged for him to slay the beast.

"Don't you think that's a bit too far? What has it ever done to you?" He kept pressing forward, but his words fell flat on their ears.

Sighing, he walked up to the "demon" and unmasked it. Revealing it to be the his sister. The three cowering females instantly turned on her. "Why're you wearing that thing?!" One growled. "Didn't you know you can't just go around scaring people!" Another added.

"I wasn't doing that. I just got candy." Limera stated, holding out her bag. This only seemed to worsen her situation.

In a last ditch effort, Rouche summoned the crown of light; making them turn around and stare into the bright symbols. "Who wants their sign read?" He asked joyously, even if he was kicking himself as he hated using this trick. They ran up to him, and asked what zodiac sign they had, and what they were entailed to.

After a while of lying straight through his teeth, the group left happily. Not doubting a single piece of his advice or "wisdom." The sorceress walked up to his side, and looked unimpressed. "Why do they base their whole entire life on astrology?"

Grimacing, he was disgusted by how easily they were deceived. "If someone can be described with a few basic human traits, and think they're special because of the singularity of it, then why even bother? A pebble has more effect on you than any constellation of stars."

Nodding knowingly, she turned up to see him. "Oh, so like your Guiding-"

"Please don't compare it to that."


	3. Chapter 3

Near the gates of the city of Randall, was a tavern, that despite the lack of business, was still open. The open, swinging doors were gently rattled as a slight breeze drafted in. Yet it affected no one who was in there; as the fireplace kept the entire room warmly lit.

Sitting on the stools near the counter, was Farzen and Laberd. They were rather...not in the mood for conversation, to say the least. The masked swordsman was a bit crabby, as he was resting his cheek against the smooth wood of the countertop. A small scar traveling across his left eye, giving him a dangerous appearance. Some would say that he was dressed up as a bandit, but in reality, he was just dressed up for a night around the city.

Laberd, on the other hand, was more upset than cranky. He was dressed up as a grim reaper, something befitting of him in both tone and character. Sitting next to Farzen, he just stared at the drink in front of him. Unlike his companion, the fencer actively drank his. The contents were a bit alcoholic, but nothing too strong.

"So….." He spoke up, hoping his partner would care enough to respond. Turning his head to face him, the masked swordsman gave him a blank look. "Don't even think about it." He muttered, turning away.

Frowning, he tried coming up with something to catch his friend's attention. It was the least he could do since he dragged him along for the ride. Despite his age, the fencer still liked trick-or-treating. But he was too shy to go by himself, and viewed as an attacker or stalker; so he usually brought along his friend. Albeit, they did make a suspicious duo for those who didn't recognize them, but thanks to a certain chain of events, they were widely known.

Before he could manage to utter a single word, Farzen stopped him dead in his tracks. "Look, it was a bad turn of events. Neither of us could have done anything." He stated. The coldness in his voice causing his friend to shrink. "I mean, you could've just froze them in place-" "No," he cut him off. "I'm not going to use my powers on a couple of kids."

Silence fell between the two again, like a thick blanket of snow. Occasionally, the tavern keeper would glance at the two nervously. They were an odd pair.

Taking a swig of his drink, the masked swordsman turned to face the tavern keeper with a bleak expression. "Why're you just staring at us? Get back to work." The sudden command caused the tavern keeper to jump; and immediately resume to wiping the mugs dry.

Laberd just shook his head, and leant in. "That's not how we talk." He said.

"Forgive me for my poor language, comrade. From this day forth, I pledge to resolve this communicational stump." He responded sarcastically, gulping down more of his drink.

Sighing, the "grim reaper" peeked at the open doorway to see a waitress handing out candy to passing children. Her infectious smile causing the passerby's to grow one of their own. "Would you like a refill?" The tavern keeper asked him. Changing his line of sight back to the server, he was spooked solid. They had adorned a generic knight costume, making him have a flashback of earlier events..

"Ummm….I think your friend here is broken." She spoke, gaining the masked man's attention.

She was right. The man was rigid; eyes wide in disbelief. Unblinking, and unmoving. "You alright?" He asked, earning no response. "Laberd, if anything is bothering you, just tell me." As the minutes passed by, he grew more and more worried. What if he was stuck like this all night? "Hello?" He called, waving his hand in front of his face.

Unbeknownst to him, the events that had transpired an hour ago played vividly in the fencer's mind. There they were, walking down the streets with a sack of candy. It was filled to the brim with almost every treat imaginable; even some homemade goodies. Farzen followed his friend closeby, glancing back at a trio of teens who eyed the two men.

He wondered what their problem was, but his comrade was oblivious to it. After all, he was too busy munching on his newly acquired treats. The combination of chocolate, nuts, taffy, gummies, and pretzels overwhelmed his tastebuds; clearing his mind of all distractions.

As the small group of teens got closer and closer, a strange tripedal figure lurked in the masked man's field of vision. Almost as if it was heading right for them. Little did they know, that's what was happening. The being was shrouded in a dark, slick hide. A strange protrusion where its head belonged was disturbing. Where its neck was supposed to be, was just an orifice of black emptiness.

He should've turned his head away. Acted like he didn't notice it. But it was too late. The appendage on its head jerked, and looked directly at him. It now sped up to a near run. This came as a shock to him, and he too, made a run for it. Grabbing hold of Laberd's hand, the two hopped over a bush, and used it as covering.

The sound of footsteps could be heard on the opposite side of the foliage, but it wasn't by the group following them. To his relief, it was the beast's. Even though they've been given chase by a creature like that, his friend was totally unaware. Still munching on whatever he could get his hands on.

"That was a close one…." He said to himself, peeking over the bush. "What even was that?" Although he would've liked to spend some time thinking over it, that had to be put on hold for now. The only reason why was because that group….had stopped in front of the bushes.

Of course, they knew where the two were hiding, and decided on waiting them out. The masked man knew he couldn't stay and hide forever, due to an active amount of trick-or-treaters walking up to the house. It was only a matter of time before he had to come up with a choice.

Taking in a deep breath, he put on his best smile, and stood up. The head of the group, who was dressed as a generic knight, had a smug look on his face. Probably it being the fact that he cornered an adult.

"Well, I know it's in the spirit to perform mean tricks on one another, but could you three step out of the way?" Farzen asked, nudging Laberd. When the fencer finally got up, the trio grinned. "You know the saying. Trick-or-treat. And guess what we want?" "Trick?" The masked man answered. .

"No. Treat. So we'll be taking that." He stated, snatching the bag away from Laberd in a flash. He was about to ask for it back, but the lot of them ran off into the crowded streets. Relocating it would be much more of a hassle, yet he couldn't just stand aside and not do a thing about it. So for the next hour, they spent the time looking around, questioning the kids and houses, but turned up empty handed.

This bugged him. Not only did he have to go through the process of finding those teens, but the fencer wouldn't shut up about his stolen treats. He ceaselessly droned on that they absolutely had to find, how important it was to him, and how hungry he had suddenly grown.

After putting himself through enough torture, he ended up in the local tavern. Drinking away the headache as his partner silently sat beside him. The frozen look of horror was gone, and he was now back to reality.

The two left shortly after, trudging back to their headquarters at the slowest rate possible. The streets weren't as crowded as before, which made traversing them less of a hassle. So much for a happy Halloween, the fencer thought, missing his sack of candy. For all he knew, those teens were on the other side of the city. Eating away at his treats. Sighing to himself, he lifted the hood of his costume over his face, and stared at the passing lights.

All they had to do was make it back. Which wasn't so much of a difficult task, as drinking a glass of water was.

At the intersection of the street, they saw their commanding officer. He was holding a plastic bag filled with snacks for who knows what. The shadows dancing behind him giving it a clear indication that others were heading the same way. Approaching him, the masked man waved at him. "Evening, commander." He greeted.

Hearing the familiar voice, Rouche saw the two standing side by side. He gave them a confused look. Weren't they supposedly trick-or-treating? Then why wasn't there a bag in sight? Hearing a yelp of terror, he spun around to find his sister standing in the darkness. "Limera! Quit it with this act!" He yelled angrily at her, causing the girl to jump. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She apologized, coming into the light.

Her face was visible now, making her appear rather….unnerving, especially in that costume. "How can such an innocent face, and macabre outfit go together?" Farzen questioned, obviously in shock. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the elder sibling shook his head. "Don't bothering asking. Julius was the one who gave her the idea."

Tapping her fingers together timidly, the claw like extensions of followed suit, mimicking her. "Now now sis, I didn't mean to- Hey! Don't eat when I'm talking to you!" Clutching her right arm, he stopped the sorceress from snacking on her treats as he spoke. "Honestly. Why're you trying to ignore me?"

"I'm not! I just deserve this!" She argued, pulling it away from her brother's grasp. "Yeah, I deserve a break too, but I got dragged into buying food at eight in the evening, chased around by a crazed group of children, and had to deal with a few girls who were close to killing you." He snapped. "Oh please. If it had come down to it, I would've burned them into ashes."

Her response sent a shiver down his spine, happy knowing that he had arrived shortly before she could act. "Anyhow, I never expected to be out this long. It's nearly eleven, ten, so we should get going." Nodding in agreement, the other three followed him back. Although his sister was a bit reluctant at first, she knew that he was just worried about what might happen if she stayed out too late.

On their way back, Limera had finally noticed the full moon hanging over their heads. It casted an orange glow onto the dimly lit paths. The color of it being a dark, orange red. She wondered if maybe his sphere would go through a similar change, thanks it to it.

Arriving on the grounds of the headquarters, the four members of the Guard closed the gate behind them, and walked to the campfire located in the empty space of the plaza. Estelle and Julius were still telling stories, since they had nothing better to do. At the sight of their commander, they jumped for joy; knowing that their wait wasn't all for naught. Chuckling at the sight, he made his way over to his seat.

His sister and co sat with them, her obviously sitting next to her brother. "So, what took you so long?" The sky pirate inquired, holding his hands out to the warm flame. "There were a few bumps on the road, but nothing major..." Laughing, Rouche doubled over from the poor excuse. "...Is what I'd like to say. Though, the actual details don't matter." He explained, leaning back in his adirondack chair.

This, Julius couldn't ignore. "Hey! Quit lying and tell us!" He pleaded. The sudden show of interest made the commander uncomfortable, "Well… I guess I could spare you the details." "What!? Of course you can't! You need to tell us what exactly happened!"

Of course there was no way out of this, but that didn't mean he couldn't have fun. "Oh? And if I choose not to? After all, you can't force me." He taunted at his comrade, knowing all too well that the dark haired Guard would take the bait. "C'mon! You can't keep us in suspense!"

Opening the bag he had with him, revealed to be graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. A smile cracked on everyone's face at the sight of the treat. Something fitting for the cold weather. As Rouche passed them around, Estelle went off to find some appropriately sized branches to skew them on.

Roasting them over the fire, they all felt a warm feeling inside. Not from the fire, but from the friendships they had been able to experience. In a word, it felt nice.

Placing the spongy treat in between two graham crackers and some chocolate, they happily dug into the delicious snack. Stories were told around the campfire, but this time, they weren't works of fiction. Rather, the events that had unfolded prior to the meetup. Limera felt bad for Laberd on his behalf, and offered to share it with him.

The group snickered when hearing out Rouche, for he had the worst luck and timing compared to the rest of the events. While the rest conversed over the facts of each story, the sorceress nibbled on another s'more.

"Y'know, besides from everything that happened, I'm really happy we can be together." She cheered.

"As am I.' Farzen acknowledged.

"I'm always happy with you guys!" Julius shouted.

"There isn't any other place I'd like to be." Laberd added.

"Teamwork makes the dream work!" Estelle chimed.

"I can't imagine a day without any of you." Rouche whispered, closing his eyes with a smile.


End file.
